Miss Iceland

Miss Iceland (Icelandic: Ungfrú Ísland) is a national Beauty pageant in Iceland.

History

The competition has been carried out since 1950; in the first year it was called Miss Reykjavík (Ungfrú Reykjavík). Since 1955, the contest has taken place under the current name Miss Iceland.

In the past, contest winners gained the right to represent Iceland in Miss Universe, Miss World or Miss International. As of 2009, the winner goes on to compete in Miss World.^[1] Runners-up go to Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth.^[1][2]

There are six regional preliminary contests in each of the five rural regions and in the capital Reykjavík. 20 to 24 candidates, three to four from each region, take part in the finals.

Iceland is one of the most successful countries at the Miss World pageant with three victories, a record for a nation with a population of less than half million people.

2013 applicants

Rafn Rafnsson, the new chief executive of the Miss Iceland contest, "in hopes of diversifying the field of contestants beyond the statuesque blonde with striking blue eyes that has become the Icelandic stereotype", said "There is no Miss Iceland stereotype..."^[3][4][5] One week later, in response to Rafnsson's statement, 1,300 people applied to become Miss Iceland,^[4][5] including several nontraditional candidates, such as:

• Sigríður Guðmarsdóttir, 48, a female governmental minister in Reykjavik^[4][5]
• Reynir Sigurðbjörnsson, 47, a male electrician^[5]
• Ása Richardsdóttir, a 49-year-old female producer in the fine arts industry^[5]
• Matthildur Helgadóttir-Jónudóttir, a female event manager also in her 40s^[5]
• Brynhildur Heiðardóttir Ómarsdóttir, a female literary critic^[5]
• Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir, a female Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Alliance^[3]
• Guðrún Jónsdóttir, a spokesperson for Stígamót (organization that fights sexual abuse against women)^[3]
• Hildur Lillendahl, a feminist in Iceland^[3]
• Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, a city councilor of Reykjavík and feminist^[6]
• Þórdís Elva Þorvaldsdóttir, a writer and actress^[6]

In response to the increase of nontraditional applicants, Rafnsson said, "We have to follow the rules set by the international contest."^[4][5] This "means rejecting any applicants younger than 18 or older than 24. In addition to the age limits, contestants must be unmarried, childless and, of course, female."^[4][5] Íris Telma Jonsdóttir, Iceland's 2012 Miss World contestant, "has the unfortunate job of sifting through applications for the coming Miss Iceland contest and the publicity stirred by feminists has even sparked an abnormally high influx of legitimate hopefuls. That means she has a lot more reading to do before selecting the field of 25 women who will actually compete for a chance to move on to Miss World."^[4][5]

Miss World Iceland

Best results

Miss Universe Iceland

Color key

Year	Miss Iceland	Placement	Special awards
1956	Guðlaug Guðmundsdóttir	Unplaced
1957	Bryndís Schram	Unplaced
1959	Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir	Top 15
1960	Svanhildur Jakobsdóttir	Unplaced
1961	Kristjana Magnúsdóttir	Top 15
1962	Anna Geirsdóttir	1st runner-up
1963	Theódóra Þórðardóttir	Unplaced
1964	Thelma Ingvarsdóttir	Unplaced
1965	Bára Magnúsdóttir	Unplaced
1966	Erla Traustadóttir	Unplaced
1967	Guðrún Pétursdóttir	Unplaced
1968	Helen Knuttsdóttir	Unplaced
1969	María Baldursdóttir	Unplaced
1970	Erna Jóhannesdottir	Unplaced
1971	Guðrún Valgarðsdóttir	Unplaced
1972	María Kristín Jóhannesdóttir	Unplaced
1974	Anna Björnsdóttir	Unplaced	Miss Congeniality
1974	Anna Björnsdóttir	Unplaced	Miss Congeniality
1975	Helga Eldon Jonsdottir	Unplaced
1976	Gudmunda Hulda Johannesdottir	Unplaced
1977	Kristjana Þráinsdóttir	Unplaced
1978	Anna Björk Edwards	Unplaced
1979	Halldora Björk Jónsdóttir	Unplaced
1980	Guðbjörg Sigurdardóttir	Top 12
1981	Elisabet Traustadóttir	Unplaced
1982	Guðrún Möller	Unplaced
1983	Unnur Steinsson	Unplaced
1984	Berglind Johansson	Unplaced
1985	Hana Bryndis Jonsdóttir	Unplaced
1986	Thora Thrastardóttir	Unplaced
1988	Anna Margrét Jónsdóttir	Unplaced
1989	Guðbjörg Gissurardóttir	Unplaced
1990	Hildur Dungalsdóttir	Unplaced
1991	Dis Sigurgeirsdóttir	Unplaced
1992	Svava Haraldsdóttir	Unplaced
1993	Maria Rún Haflidadóttir	Unplaced
1994	Svala Björk Arnardóttir	Unplaced
1995	Margret Skúladóttir Sigurz	Unplaced
1996	Hrafnhildur Hafsteinsdóttir	Unplaced
1997	Solveig Guðmundsdóttir	Unplaced
2006	Sif Aradóttir	Unplaced
2009	Ingibjörg Egilsdóttir	Top 15

Miss International Iceland

Color key

Year	Miss Iceland	Placement	Special awards
1960	Sigriður Geirsdóttir	2nd runner-up
1961	Sigrún Ragnarsdóttir	4th runner-up
1962	Maria Gudmundsdóttir	Semi-finalists
1963	Guðrún Bjarnadóttir	Miss International 1963
1964	Elisabet Sigríður Ottósdóttir	Semi-finalists
1965	Rósa Einarsdóttir	Unplaced
1967	Kolbrún Einarsdóttir	Unplaced
1969	Helen Knútsdóttir	Unplaced
1970	Erla Hardardóttir	Semi-finalists
1971	Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir	Unplaced
1972	Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir	Unplaced
1973	Helga Eldon Jonsdóttir	2nd runner-up
1974	Þórunn Stefánsdóttir	Unplaced
1975	Þorbjörg Garðarsdóttir	Unplaced
1976	Sigrún Saevarsdóttir	Unplaced
1977	Guðrún Helgadóttir	Unplaced
1978	Sigurlaug Halldórsdóttir	Unplaced
1979	Sigrún Björk Sverrisdóttir	Unplaced
1981	Hlíf Hansen	Unplaced
1983	Steinunn Jóhanna Bergmann	Unplaced
1984	Guðlaug Stella Brynjólfsdottir	Semi-finalists
1985	Anna Margret Jónsdóttir	Semi-finalists
1986	Ragna Sæmundsdóttir	Unplaced
1987	Magnea Lovisa Magnusdóttir	Unplaced
1988	Guðbjörg Gissurardóttir	Semi-finalists
1989	Guðrun Eyjólfsdóttir	Semi-finalists
1990	Þórdis Steinunn Steinsdóttir	Unplaced
1991	Sólveig Kristjansdóttir	Unplaced
1992	Þórunn Larusdóttir	Semi-finalists
1995	Lovísa Guðmundsdóttir	Semi-finalists
1996	Auður Geirsdóttir	Unplaced
1998	Guðbjörg Sigridur Hermannsdóttir	Unplaced
1999	Ásbjörg Kristinsdóttir	Unplaced
2000	Anna Lilja Björnsdóttir	Unplaced
2001	Íris Dögg Oddsdóttir	Unplaced
2004	Halldóra Rut Bjarnadóttir	Unplaced
2013	Sigrún Eva Ármannsdóttir	Semi-finalists

Pageant notes

• Unnur Steinsson was Miss Iceland 1983 and finished in the top five positions at the Miss World finals the same year. She is the mother of Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir who won the Miss Iceland pageant in 2005 and became Miss World 2005.^[3] Steinsson was three months pregnant when she carried Unnur and competed in the 1983 contest, which was strictly forbidden and could have led to disqualification. Her daughter, Unnur, as mentioned, won the pageant 22 years later.
• In 2011, Guðlaug Dagmar Jónasdóttir won second place and Sigríður Dagbjört Ásgeirsdóttir won third place.^[3]

References

External links

• Official website